Improvement in knitting-machines



w. COTTON KNITTING MACHINE.

PATENTED Nov. 20, 1866. s anus-sum 1 M I n I1 W. COTTON. KNITTING MACHINE.

No- 59 ,892.- 7 PATENTBD NOV. 20, 1866.

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No. 59,892. PATENTED NOV.20, 1866.

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No. 59,892. PATENTED NOV. 20, 1866. 8SHEBTSSHEET 4.

, W. COTTON.

KNITTING MACHINE.

, No. 59,892. PATENTED NOV. 20, 186 6.

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. W. COTTON.

KNITTING MACHINE.

PATENTED NOV. 20, 18 66.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 6v W. COTTON. KNITTING MACHINE.

PATENTED Nov. 20, 1866.

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W. COTTON.

KNITTING MACHINE.

PATENTED NOV. 20, 1866.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM COTTON, OF LOUGHBOROUGH, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,892, dated November 20, 1866.

Tacit whom it mdy concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Oorron, of Loughborough, in the county of Leicester, England, manufacturer, have invented improvements in machinery or apparatus for the manufacture of looped fabrics; and Ido here by declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Of such drawings, Figure 1 denotes a top view of a knitting-machine containing my invention. Fig. 2 is a front, and Fig. 3 a rear, elevation of it. Figs. 4 and 5 are end elevations of it. Figs. 6 and 35 are transverse and vertical sections of it. f

Such other figures as may be necessary to better represent those of the operative parts will be hereinafter referred to and described.

The machine contains two series of barbed needles and two series of sinkers to operate therewith in the formation of loops from yarn laid on or presented to the needles by carriers, and to make at one and the same time two pieces of work, one of which is formed on one side and the other on the other side of the middle of such machine-as, for in- :tance, one leg and half the body of a pair of Jrawers may be knit on one-half of the mahine while another such leg and part of the body are being knit onthe other half of the machine. I do not limit my machine to two such divisions, as it may have a greater or different number, so as to make one piece or more than two pieces of work at once, each of such being formed by means substantially as hereinafter set forth.

Of each series of the sinkers, every other one of them is moved successively by the action of a slur-cock, the remainder being subsequently moved in a body, or all at once, and by a catch-bar and other mechanism, as

will be hereinafter explained. Those sinkers which operate in succession I term jacksinkers. The others, or those which move in a body or all at once, I term. dividers, or dividing-sinkers, in order to distinguish them. The jack-sinkers form loops around pairs of the needles. The dividers, by subsequently being moved forward by what is termed the catch-bar, and while the jacksinkers are correspondingly moved backward in a body, force the yarn between each two the jack-sinkers, dividers, and a catch-bar, to

operate such in manner substantially as explained herein, is, that it renders the thread or yarn less liable to be broken than when all the sinkers are operated successively. it Other advantages will be apparent to per- .sons skilled in the construction and use of what are termed plane knitting-machines.

With the sinkers, needles, and yarn-carriers, and their actuating mechanisms, I employ certain grooved needles or instruments for fashioning,that is, for effecting what is termed narrowing and widening of the work. These fashioning needles or instruments have mechanism, as will be hereinafter explained, for producing their proper movements. These fashioning needles are employed to take loops from certain of the bearded needles and transfer them to and upon the others thereof, either to effect the process of narrowing or that of widening the work, as circumstances may require.

In the drawings, a represents the main frame of the machine, it being suitably constructed for supporting the main operative parts. I) is the driving-shaft of the machine, it being provided with a fast pulley, b and a loose pulley, b and supported by boxes upheld by the frame a. A small hand-wheel, d is also fixed on the driving-shaft, for the purpose of enabling such shaft to be revolved by manual power.

At one end of the driving-shaft'b is a gear, 11 which engages with another gear, 0, fixed on a cam-shaft, c, which runs longitudinally and horizontally through the frame a, and may be supported in suitable bearings at the ends and middle of the frame. Thus, it will be observed that, by means of the said gears b c, the cam-shaft 0 will receive rotary motion while the driving-shaft may be in revolution.

d (see Figs. 1 and 6) are the barbed or bearded needles, the heads d of which are fixed to a needle-bar, d (shown in Figs. 3 and 6,) pro* vided with mechanism for imparting to it a compound movement. To this end the needlebar 01 is jointed to arms 11 projecting from a horizontal shaft, d (see Figs. 1,2, and 6,) supported in bearings a. Another arm, d projects downward from the shaft d and carries a roller, d, which rests against the periphery of a cam or tappet, d fixed on the cam-shaft c. The vertical movements of the needles are effected by such cam and by means of a spring, 8, which is applied to the arm at and the frame a, as represented in the drawings.

The needle-bar d has two other arms, at, projecting down from it, they being jointed at their lower ends to two links, d" d, which directions, both toward and away from the presser-bar P, on and in which the sinkers e are arranged, such movements being to effect the closing of the beards of the needles and allow them to open by their inherent elasticity,

as circumstances may require.

7 One peculiarity of this machine is that its presser-bar P is stationary, the needles being moved up to and away from it, whereas in most, if not all, other machines, the needles have vertical movements only, and the presserbar is moved up to them in order to press their beards toward their shanks. This moving of the needles toward and from a stationary presser is an advantage resulting from the necessity of moving the needles back or laterally in order that the fashioning needles or instruments may perform their office of seizing the loops.

The mechanism for operating the sinkers to effect the formation of loops on the needles, and that for knocking over the work or castin g it off the needles, may be thus explained:

In the drawings the sinkers are shown at e as arranged between two horizontal and stationary bars, 6* P, and in grooves made parallel and transversely therein, one of such bars viz., the lower oneserving as a presser to close the beards of the needles. These sinkers which are in each half of the machine, are divided into jack-sinkers and dividers, there being a jack sinker between each two dividers, as shown in top view in Fig. 7. A jack, f, is arranged in rear of each of the jack sinkers. Each jack, near its lower end, has a notch, f, toreceive and enable the jack to be supported by a stationary bar, f Another bar, f (see Fig. 6,) serves to keep the notch astraddle of the bar f Each series of jacks f has its jacks actuated in one direction by a slur-cock, g, carried by a slur-box in. the usual manner. This slur cock and box are represented in Fig. 8, which is a top view of them and their supporting and operating bars. The movement of the dividers in the same direction and their movements and those of the jacks simultaneously in the opposite direction are efi'ected by means of a grooved bar, h, which I term the catch-bar, which for this purpose is constructed with a longitudinal groove or space formed between two projections, h h such grooves or spaces to receive projections c raised on the sinkers. When the slur-cocks are in action on the jacks the projections h (shown more particularly in Fig. 9, which is a longitudinal section of the catch-bar h and the projection g? of the slurbox 9 will be so acted on by the projection g of the slur-box as to raise the catch-bar h out of the way of the said projection e of the sinkers 5 but when the slur-cock may have finished its traverse the projection g of the box 9 will have passed from under the projection k thereby ceasing to support the catch-bar h, which, falling upon, the sinkers, will embrace their projection 0, so that when actuated for the purpose the catch-bar will retract all the sinkers simultaneously. The catch-bar also operates to move the dividers forward. This is accomplished by the front edge of the projection h, which is somewhat lower than the projection h. The said front edge, by being forced in contact with the rear edge of the dividers, drives the dividers forward until their projections a come into line with those of the jack-sinkers. When this takes place the catchbar falls, and receives all the projections 6 into its groove.

The movement of the catch-bar h is obtained by that bar having arms ht, which are hinged to the upper end of arms h, projecting up ward from a rocker-shaft, 7L (See Figs. 1 and 3.) An arm, h extending from the shaft 7L5, carries a roller, k which is borne by a spring, a, against the cam. it affixed on the shaft 0.

The knocking over of the work is effected by a stationary comb, i,affixed to the main cross-bar a, (see Fig. '6, also Fig. 10, which is a top view of the comb.) The work lies on the comb, and extends horizontally, or about so, out of the machine. The descent of the needles between the teeth of the knocking-over comb will cause the needles to draw the yarn down through the loop of the work, so as to form new loops, through which the needles are to be subsequently raised for the purpose of receiving a fresh supply of yarn laid on them by the thread-carrier.

In the drawings of the machine there are two thread-carriers, j -j, they being projected from a cylindrical rod,j which rests and turns in bearings made in the slur-boxes 'g. These slur-boxes are connected together by a bar, 9 and slide lengthwise on another or stationary bar, g". A spring-brake,j ,aff1xed to the bar 9, curves aroundand embraces the rod j, and exerts a frictional pressure thereon, by which the said bar will be moved. lengthwise with the bar g until estopped, as hereinafter described.

As the thread-carriers reach either end of ave 3 their traverse they will be stopped by contact with one of two adjustable stops, j" k, arranged as shown in Fig. 1. Each of these stops is provided with mechanism for adjust ing it in position, either nearer to or farther from the middle of the machine. This adjustment of the stop is to enable the traverse of the thread-carrier to be increased or diminished, as circumstances may require, in the process of fashioning. The adjustment of the stops as occasion may require is effected by mechanism to be described.

I apply the stops j k to sliding carriages Z 1, suitable supported by and so as to be capable of being slid or moved lengthwise in posts a? a of the main frame. (See Fig. 1.) Each of such carriages lhas a worm-rack, P, on its bottom to receive a worm, 1 carried by a shaft, 1 supported by the part a A pinion, Z is fixed on the said worm-shaft, and engages with a gear, 1 provided with two ratchets, l", which are fastened to it, and, with the gear, revolve freely on a stationary stud, Z7.

Two clawkers or pawls, 1 carried by a lever, 1 operate with the two ratchets, there being one pawl to each ratchet, and the whole being shown in each of the end elevations, Figs. 4 and 5. Each lever Z turns on a stationary fulcrum, Z, and carries a roller, Z, which revolves and slides freely on a pin projecting from the lever. A helical spring, :0 connects the two pawls, and serves to keep either of them up to a ratchet, while the other is kept out of action with its own ratchet by one of two catches, arranged as represented, and applied to and so as to be capable of turning on a stud projecting from the lever Z A forked arm, 2)", projecting from a shaft, 12 engages with the hub of the roller l that is to say, the fork of the arm embraces the hub and enters a groove made in and around it. When the shaft p is moved endwise, the arm 19 will correspondingly move the roller l -that is, so as to throw it either on or off a cam, 8 fixed on the cam-shaft c. The said cam, by its action on the roller 1, will produce an upward motion of the lever Z carrying the pawls 1 the lever being moved in the opposite directions by its inherent weight and that of the parts supported by it. This upward movement of the lever will cause either of the PZLWIS to actuate its ratchet, so as to revolve the gear Z. This gear, acting'with the pinion Z will cause it to revolve the worm-shaft l and thus put in movement the adjustable stop j or it? over suchworm-shaft. The direction in which the stop will be moved will depend on which pawl may be in action. The stop is to be moved outward when the work is to be widened, and inward when it is to be narrowed.

As this machine is calculated to produce two separate fabrics at one and the same time, we shall now describe the mechanism for moving the slur-boxes g of which there is one for each of such fabrics. The movements of the slur-boxes cause not only the movement of their slurcocks, but, by means of the springbrake hereinbefore mentioned, effect the requisite movements of the rod carryin g thethreadcarriers. A connecting-rod, g, jointed to the bar 9 is also jointed to the upper end of a lever, 9 (See Fig. 3.) This lever, by means of a connecting-rod, g", is also connected to another lever, y, which, by a rod, 9 is connected to a slide-bar, 9". This slide-bar moves longitudinally in stationary guides g, and carries two bowls or rollers, 9 g whose peripheries rest against opposite sides of the periphery of a cam, g", fixed on a transverse shaft, g. This shaft has a beveled gear, fixed on it, which engages with another beveled gear, 9 affixed on the cam-shaft c.

From the above it will be seen that during the revolution of the cam g" the bar g will be moved back and forth longitudinally. The gear g revolves freely on the shaft 0. A forked arm, g, extending from the shaft 19 enters the groove of a clutch, g, which revolves with the shaft 0 and slides thereon, and serves to engage the gear g, or disengage it from the shaft, the engagement being such as to cause the shaft to be revolved by the gear. The gear 9 is to be in engagement with the shaft 0 while plain work is being made by the ma chine; but when the work is being fashioned the gear is to be out of engagement with the shaft.

WVhen fashioning is to be carried on, the fashioning-needles m are brought into position with respect to the needles "d, as represented in Fig. 11. At other times these instruments'are to be turned back or thrown out of action, which can be done by revolving their arms m on the shaft on, with which they are connected. Each of these instruments m is formed with a groove in its side which comes next the needle (1, the same being so as to cover or receive the beard of the needle. Each instrument on is also bent or curved a little near its point, in order that it may readily enter that part of the beardrecess of the needle which is below'the point of the beard.

The machine shows two of these fashioningneedles to each carrier 'm they being projected from a lever, m which is arranged within and has its fulcrum supported by the carrier. A spring, or, is applied to each lever and carrier. A slide'rod, m extending through the carrier, is borne against the lever by the action of along cam, m from a shaft, am. There are two of such cams 011 the shaft, and the shaft, at the proper times, is turned in its bearings so as to bring them into and out of action with respect to the slide-rod m".

The shaft m hasJa crank, 2, on one end, which is connected to a lever, 2 by a connecting-rod, 2. (See Fig. 4.) This lever carries a friction-roller, 2, which rests on a cam, 2*, carried by the cam-shaft 0. A spring, 2 bears the friction-roller up to the cam. The purpose of the cam z, the roller 2", and the lever .2 the connecting-rod z, and the crank z, is to cause the fashioning-needles m to press upon the barbs of the needle (I, and enter their needles d.

The upper arm of each of the levers m brings up against a stop, m fixed on the carriage. The levers m are fixed to separate carriages M, which are projected from separate bars on m that is, one of such carriages is fixed to one and the other to the other of such bars. The said bars m m" are supported so as to be capable of being slid longitudinally on arms m projected from a shaft, 012". These bars m m are notched upon a projection, m extending from the two adjustable stops j" k, the same being as represented in Fig. 1'.

The bars on W, by their connection with the adjustable stops, receive motion therefrom in opposite directions. The shaft m is supported by and so as to be capable of turning on the upper ends of arms m, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) affixed to and projecting upward from a rocker-shaft, m, which has affixed to it an arm, m, which carries a friction-roller, m which rests against the periphery of a cam, m", fixed on the cam-shaft c. A spring, m, fixed to the arm m and the frame, keeps the roller up to the cam. By means of the arms m, the shaft m, arm m, roller m, cam m, and spring m, a slight to-and-fro movement in a horizontal direction will be imparted to the fashioning-needles m the same being to enable them to pass over the heads of the knitting-needles d.-

From the shaft m an arm, m carrying a friction-wheel, m extends, such wheel being borne by a spring, m against a cam, m fixed on the cam-shaft c. The head m of the arm m turns on the shaft m and is held thereto by a set-screw, m, which enters a recess or slot, m made in the shaft. By unscrewing the set-screw the shaft may be turned in its bearings so as to throw the fashioninginstruments' out of action with the needles d. The cam on and the spring m aid in effecting the vertical or up-and-down movements of the fashioning-needles.

Figs. 12, 13, and 14 show a fashioning-needle, m, in either of its positions it assumes in operating for the change of a loop while the fashioning is being effected.

In Fig. 11 the fashioning-needle m is represented as resting against, and so as to receive into its groove, the beard of one of the needlesd, the needle are being inv the act of seizing a loop from the needle d. In Fig. 12 the fashioning-needle m is shown. in the act of transferring a loop, and in Fig. 13 it is exhibited as holding the loop in a position to deliver it-upon the needle 01 destined to receive it. Fig. 14 exhibits the position of the fashioning-needle on after the transfer of the loop to and upon a needle,- d.

In this machine certain of the cams hereinbefore described were employed for operating the needles d and other parts, in order to pro duce a fabric of uniform width; but when there is to be produced a variation in the width of the fabric-that is to say, when fashioning of it is required-I bring other cams into operation in order to effect the requisite motions of the main needles. For this purpose the frictionrollers 61 01 k m m are first shifted to and upon or against the additional cams d d h, m"*, and m fixed on the shaft 0. The rollers l are to be on the cams 8 After the fashioning has taken place, the rollers d, r1 5, h", m and m are changed back to the cams for doing the plain work, and the rollers l are moved off their cams 8 The shifting of the rollers is effected by mechanism which may be thus described: Up-

on the shaft (see Fig. 2) is a cam, n, which,

during its rotation, acts on a roller, n, supported by and so as to be capable of being revolved on a stud, n, which carries a driver or pawl, n. The stud projects from a lever or aIlD,-% provided with a spring, n to draw the roller n against the cam n. The driver or pawl 11; operates with a ratchet, n fixedon a tubular shaft, a which turns on a stationary arbor, n. A cam, o, is fixed on the shaft n.

This cam acts against a projection or stud, 19,

extending from an arm, 12, projecting from the shaft 19 Another arm, extends up from the shaft 19 and carries a friction roller, 19 against which a cam, q, projecting from the side of a wheel, q, fixed on the shaft 0, operates. The operation of the cam n while revolving is such as to cause the pawl n to actuate theratchet n whereby the cam 0 will be revolved, so as to effect a movement of the shaft 19 such as will throw the roller p into or out of the path of movement of the cam q. Such cam, While the shaft 0 is in revolution, will so act against the roller as to cause the shaft 1) to be moved longitudinally, so as to change the rollers d d 72;, m and m to and upon the additional or fashioning cams hereinbefore mentioned. A cam, r fixed on the side of a wheel, T, which is fixed on the shaft 6, by acting against the roller p at the proper time, will cause the shaft p to be slid in an opposite direction, so as to move the rollers (1 d, h, m, and m off the fashioning-cams and upon the other cams, or those by which the plain work is effected.

It will be observed that the surface of each of the thread carriers next the needle is formed flat, or nearly so, as is indicated by the separate views of them, as shown in Figs. 15, 16, 17, and 18, where k represents the flat part. The object of this part is that,

when in fashioning the thread-carrier may stop oppositea needle, the part 70* may act to. close the beard of the needle, so as to prevent the thread from being caught by the beards of the next adjacent needles.

The next parts of the mechanism to be described are those for oiling the threads or yarn and for taking up its slack or drawing it-tight for a correct formation of the selvage or edge of the work.

Inthe drawings, t t represent two oil vessels of holders, fixed on a horizontal rod, t",

and provided with two perforated threadguides, 25 t. The threads or yarn, before being passed through the thread-carrier, are led through the said guides and against sponges, or their equivalents, placed in the vessels t t and saturated with oil. By running or being drawn in contact with thesponges, the yarn will be oiled. The rod 19 is supported by two arms, t projecting up from a horizontal shaft, 15. (See Fig. 3.) One of the said arms t constitutes part of a lever, t whose lower arm carries afriction-roller,whichrests against and is moved by a cam, t fixed on the camshaft 0.

During the revolution of such cam, and at the proper time, the lever will be moved so as to move the lubricating-boxes and their threadguides in a manner to cause the slack of the yarn at each selvage to be taken up or the yarn to be drawn tight, so as to make a good or proper selvage.

Figs. 19, 20,21,22, 23,24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34 exhibit the cams hereinbefore mentioned, each being marked with its appropriate designating letter.

Although I have hereinbefore described mechanism for oiling the thread or yarn and taking up its slack or drawing it tight for a correct formation of the selvage or edge of the work, and believe myself to be the original and first inventor of such, I do not herein intend to claim the same, but reserve to myself the right of making such the subject or subjects of one or more separate applications for patents.

In the above-described machine I claim the following as my invention-that is to say:

1. The improvement'in operating the sinkers in order for the formation of loops on the main needles, such being, by means of the jacks f and a catch-bar, h, or its equivalent, provided with actuating mechanism, substantially as described, whereby certain of the sinkers are operated in succession by the jacks and the intermediate sinkers, or those termed dividers, as well as the rest or jack-sinkers, are subsequently moved in a body in manner as explained.

2. The improvement by which the beards of the needles are closed, the same being effected by means of a stationary presser, P, and by moving the needles up against it, as explained.

3. The vertical arrangement of the needles (I relatively to the stationary presser-bar P, and the sinkers 6, arranged horizontally, or thereabout, as described, the same being advantageous in rendering the needles capable of being moved up to and away from the presser-bar with great ease and little expenditure of power.

4. The combination as well as the arrangement of the fashioning-needles m, formed and provided with mechanism for operating them, substantially as described, with the combi and presser P, and the main needles d, and the sinkers provided with mechanism for operating them, for the production of a knit fabric, as set forth.

5. The fashioning-needle, constructed as described, viz., with a curve at and near its point, and with the groove in its shank, and extending back from the point, as set forth.

6. The improvement for operating the threadcarriers, viz., a friction-brake applied to their supporting-rod and extended from the slurbox sustaining-bar, as set forth.

7. The combination as well as the arrangement of the adjustable stops j W, provided with mechanism for operating them, substantially as described, with the thread carrier or carriers, their supporting-rod, and the friction-brake extended from the slur-box carrier.

8. The improvement in the construction of the thread-carrier, the same consisting in making it next the needle flat or nearly flat, as represented at k in Figs. 15, 16, 17, and 18, the same being for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

9. The combination of the adjustable stops j 70, provided with mechanism for operating them, substantially as described, with the fashioning-needles and the thread carrier or carriers, provided with mechanism or mechanisms for operating them, substantially as explained.

In testimony whereof I, the said WILLIAM COTTON, have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribin g witnesses.

WILLIAM COTTON.

Witnesses:

Ronnn'r GOOHRANE, HENRY KIRKB; WHITE. 

